Boys will be Boys
by TheNovelArtist
Summary: As she stood off in the side of her living room, Marinette wondered if there was any way she could have stopped this years ago.


A/N: For those of you waiting for my novel _Escaping the Tyrant_ to come out on Kindle, it has arrived. ;) (Or, it will within the next 48 hours. It still has to be "approved". *rolls eyes*)

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As she stood off in the side of her living room, Marinette wondered if there was any way she could have stopped this years ago. She only had herself to blame for this, mostly because she didn't have the heart to blame Adrien.

Rewind twenty years, when she surprised Adrien one day with a positive pregnancy test. He had proceeded to spend the entirety of her first pregnancy two steps away from dying of a panic attack, afraid he would end up like his own father. It was Marinette's job as his wife to encourage him and ensure him that he would never become that man. That he knew better and would find much better examples to follow.

And that example just happened to be her papa.

It was endearing, watching Adrien observe Papa while he handled little Emma. Adrien followed Papa's advice to the letter, then went overboard by spending as much time as humanly possible with her.

"If I do only one thing right," Adrien said, "its going to be proving to her that her father will _always_ be there for her."

It was that moment that Marinette knew Adrien would be the World's Best Father to her kids.

Two years down the road, Hugo was born, and Adrien was once again copying her father's example. Just like the first time, she didn't think anything of it.

But that was her mistake.

Her papa was a father to a single girl. His experience consisted of being gentle raising that one girl as he figured out how to raise a child. Handling Emma was second nature to him, because he raised a little girl once before. But apparently, little baby boys automatically turned fathers into playmates, not protectors that they were with girls. So her papa didn't just _play_ with Hugo. He did all the rough-and-tumble stuff with Hugo. Meaning _Adrien_ did all the rough-and-tumble stuff with Hugo.

And then Louis.

And never stopped.

Hence how Marinette found herself in her current position, off to the side of her living room with all the furniture moved against the walls. To her right, Maman stood wearing a cringe that likely matched Marinette's. On her left was Emma, camera out and focused on the action.

Marinette turned back to the sight in front of her, which consisted of Hugo and Louis looking rather smug as they faced off Adrien and Tom. Ready to take them down. In a team wrestling match.

Marinette was mentally prepared to care for any injuries as well as recalling the fastest route to the hospital.

"Get ready," Emma called out. She had been dubbed official referee on top of being the official camerawoman to—in Hugo's words—film the inevitable defeat of Dad and Grandpapa.

Adrien and Papa patted each other on the back as though they were brothers, or at least blood related. Marinette's boys did the same.

She sighed. Why did she feel this would end poorly?

"Get set!"

They faced off: Tom against Hugo, and Louis against Adrien.

"Go!"

Marinette couldn't stop herself from cringing as all four of them collapsed to the ground in duel wrestling matches. She was fairly certain her mother cringed as well as she watched Tom get tackled by Hugo. Emma had no such reaction. Instead, her gaze flickered back and forth between the camera screen and the actual match.

While Marinette didn't like her father wrestling with her sixteen-year-old as he was, she would give Hugo credit later—much, _much_ later when she wasn't irritated at him for suggesting this in the first place—for taking it easy on his grandpapa. It was clear he had Tom's larger statue, but he's clearly inherited his gentleness as well. So while he was determined to not lose to grandpapa, he was trying not to hurt him either.

It wasn't a surprise that Hugo was the first winner, fully pinning Tom to the floor. "The student has finally beat the master!" he proudly shouted.

"Dang it!" Tom good-naturedly conceded.

Hugo stood to help Tom up from the ground. "Now come on, Louis!" Hugo cheered.

Only to watch his brother get flipped upside-down and pinned.

"No!" Both Louis and Hugo cried.

"That's my boy!" Tom shouted, his voice booming as he lifted his fists victoriously in the air.

Adrien chuckled. "You didn't give your daughter away to a loser, that's for certain."

Marinette rolled her eyes.

Tom laughed. "And that's why I'm proud to call you my son."

Adrien beamed as he always did whenever Tom claimed him that way. Marinette was torn between finding it endearing and heartbreaking. Gabriel should have been the one claiming Adrien proudly that way. Gabriel should be here, watching his grandchildren grow up. Instead, he made his choice, and that choice did not allow any positive connections between him and his son, and by default, his son's family.

"All right, Dad," Hugo taunted. "You against me. Winner's team takes all."

"Better watch it, son." Adrien warned.

Marinette's gaze bounced back and forth between the two, taking in how both their vivid green eyes sparkled with challenge while each wearing that signature Confident Chat Noir Grin.

"You're not gonna be able to take me." Hugo playfully bantered.

"Want to bet?"

"You're on."

"Loser takes on mom's chores for two weeks."

…All right, Marinette would admit that losing that during fashion week would be nice.

And considering the wink Adrien sent her, he knew it, too.

She'd kiss him later. Maybe. If she was feeling forgiving. Hugo may have started this, but Adrien was gasoline to this fire.

"You're on!" Hugo quickly agreed. "Count it down, Em!"

Emma sighed. She didn't bother to lower the camera and instead just glanced over it. "You know Dad's gonna win, right?"

"As if," Louis objected.

"Bet you two weeks of mom's chores that Hugo loses."

"You're on."

The way Louis caught Marinette's eye and flashed her a proud grin told Marinette that he knew what he was doing, and win or lose, he knew covering her chores would be a help.

Honestly, current drama aside, Marinette couldn't have asked for better kids.

Emma grinned, already looking very much like a winner. Marinette wasn't at all surprised at her abounding confidence in her papa. She was Adrien's little girl and happily, and maybe a bit possessively, claimed that title. "Get ready."

Adrien and Hugo took their stance. Marinette would deny later examining her husband as close as she did, noting the familiarity of his stance and how a much younger man in black leather used to stand in that same pose on a very regular basis.

"GO!"

Adrien and Hugo crashed together, immediately taking each other to the floor.

Tom, Louis, and Emma cheered them on while Marinette and her mother watched in defeated amusement. At least Tom wasn't being tackled to the ground, something a man at his age did _not_ need to be doing.

When Hugo seemed to be winning over Adrien, Louis started cheering harder while Tom started shouting encouragement.

"Got you," Hugo shouted, moving to finalize his father's loss.

Only for Adrien to grab his son's leg and flip him over on his back in one swift motion.

Tom cheered. Louis cried. Hugo whined in defeat.

Adrien smirked as he looked down at his son. "One thing to remember, Hugo," Adrien said. " _Never_ underestimate your old man."

Hugo groaned. "Noted."


End file.
